Independence Park
Encyclopedia
Independence Park is a sports and cultural complex in Kingston, Jamaica
built for the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
. It houses a variety of sports facilities. A statue of Bob Marley
marks the entrance to the site.
External links in the sections below are to aerial views at Wikimapia
.
(being the home field of the Jamaica Football Federation
) but is also considered the apex of Athletic competition in the West Indies being home to Jamaica's national athletic team for the Olympic Games
and Commonwealth Games
.
It was built for the 1962 Central American and Caribbean Games
, for which it was the main stadium hosting the opening and closing ceremonies, track and field and cycling events. It was also home to the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
. It holds 35,000 people.
Facilities include:
A statue of Olympic gold medallist Don Quarrie
guards the entrance to the stadium.
Other statues in the complex include those of Arthur Wint
, Herb McKenley
and Merlene Ottey
.
1962 Central American and Caribbean Games
. The main swimming pool was modified to accommodate the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
which required that distances be in yards as opposed to metres. It currently seats 8,500.
it holds 3,000 people and was opened in 1963.
It is now used for a wide range of activities including sports tournaments (netball, table tennis, etc.), trade exhibitions, flower shows, the National Festival song and costume competitions and state funerals.
. It holds 6,000 people and opened in 2002.
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
built for the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
The 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games were held in Kingston, Jamaica from 4 August to 13 August 1966. This was the first time that the Games had been held outside the so-called White Dominions....
. It houses a variety of sports facilities. A statue of Bob Marley
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers...
marks the entrance to the site.
External links in the sections below are to aerial views at Wikimapia
Wikimapia
WikiMapia is a privately owned, online map and satellite imaging resource that combines Google Maps with a wiki system, allowing users to add information, in the form of a note, to any location on Earth. Users may currently use this information for free...
.
The National Stadium
The National Stadium is primarily used for footballFootball (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
(being the home field of the Jamaica Football Federation
Jamaica Football Federation
The Jamaica Football Federation is the governing body of football in Jamaica and is in charge of the Jamaican national team and the Jamaican National Premier League.- History :...
) but is also considered the apex of Athletic competition in the West Indies being home to Jamaica's national athletic team for the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
and Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
.
It was built for the 1962 Central American and Caribbean Games
1962 Central American and Caribbean Games
The 9th Central American and Caribbean Games were held in Kingston, the capital city of Jamaica from August 15 to August 28, 1962. This games included 1,559 athletes from fifteen nations.-References:...
, for which it was the main stadium hosting the opening and closing ceremonies, track and field and cycling events. It was also home to the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
The 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games were held in Kingston, Jamaica from 4 August to 13 August 1966. This was the first time that the Games had been held outside the so-called White Dominions....
. It holds 35,000 people.
Facilities include:
- a 400m IAAF regulation running track (a warm up track east of the main stadium was recently renovated to create a second world class competition track)
- a 500m concrete velodromeVelodromeA velodrome is an arena for track cycling. Modern velodromes feature steeply banked oval tracks, consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights...
which encircles the running track - a FIFAFIFAThe Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
regulation football pitch - a media centre
- 11 private suites and a royal box.
A statue of Olympic gold medallist Don Quarrie
Don Quarrie
Donald O'Riley Quarrie C.D is a former Jamaican athlete, one of the world's top sprinters during the 1970s....
guards the entrance to the stadium.
Other statues in the complex include those of Arthur Wint
Arthur Wint
Competitor for JamaicaArthur Stanley Wint was the first Jamaican Olympic gold medalist, winning the 400 m at 1948 Summer Olympics....
, Herb McKenley
Herb McKenley
Competitor for JamaicaHerbert Henry "Herb" McKenley OM was a Jamaican athlete, winner of a gold medal in the 4x400 m relay at the 1952 Summer Olympics....
and Merlene Ottey
Merlene Ottey
Merlene Joyce Ottey , is a Jamaican-born Slovenian track athlete. Ottey began her career representing Jamaica, but since 2002, has represented Slovenia, where she now resides...
.
Olympic size swimming and diving pools
The pools were built to host the aquatic events of the1962 Central American and Caribbean Games
1962 Central American and Caribbean Games
The 9th Central American and Caribbean Games were held in Kingston, the capital city of Jamaica from August 15 to August 28, 1962. This games included 1,559 athletes from fifteen nations.-References:...
. The main swimming pool was modified to accommodate the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
The 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games were held in Kingston, Jamaica from 4 August to 13 August 1966. This was the first time that the Games had been held outside the so-called White Dominions....
which required that distances be in yards as opposed to metres. It currently seats 8,500.
The National Arena
The National Arena was built to host the Weightlifting and Wrestling events events of the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
The 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games were held in Kingston, Jamaica from 4 August to 13 August 1966. This was the first time that the Games had been held outside the so-called White Dominions....
it holds 3,000 people and was opened in 1963.
It is now used for a wide range of activities including sports tournaments (netball, table tennis, etc.), trade exhibitions, flower shows, the National Festival song and costume competitions and state funerals.
The National Indoor Arena
The National Indoor Arena was built adjacent to the National Arena to host the 2003 IFNA Netball World ChampionshipsNetball World Championships
The World Netball Championships is a quadrennial international netball world championship co-ordinated by the International Federation of Netball Associations , inaugurated in 1963. Since its inception the competition has been dominated primarily by the Australian national netball team and the New...
. It holds 6,000 people and opened in 2002.
External links
- Independence Park at WikimapiaWikimapiaWikiMapia is a privately owned, online map and satellite imaging resource that combines Google Maps with a wiki system, allowing users to add information, in the form of a note, to any location on Earth. Users may currently use this information for free...
.